Flaw detector carriage



July l, 1952 w. c. BARNES ETAL FLAW DETECTOR CARRIAGE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1Filed Feb. 18, 1950 July 1, 1952 w. c. BARNES ETAL FLAW DETECTORCARRIAGE Patented July 1, 1952 UNITED STATES FLAW DETCTR CARRIAGE WalterC. Barnes, Lake Blulf, andohn C. Dionne;v

' Chicago, Ill.

Application February 1s, 195o, seein No. 144,946

zo claims. l

'This invention relates. .to improvements in apparatus for: magneticallydetecting rail flaws such has fissures. -The I general principle inaccordance with which such apparatus operates tis', .that if al railbevproperly subjected to moving magnetic eldsfthe fissures can bepolarized and rthen detected by suitable apparatus responsive to lthe.residual magnetic conditions in the Vicinity of the polarized flaws.

' The present invention is not concerned with the details ofconstruction and mode of operation ofthe electrical apparatus andcircuits pertainning thereto, but rather with the mechanicalstructureoffthe detector carriage employed for 'supporting and`positioning with respect to the rails, one of the venergizing magnetsand the pickiupv portions of the detector apparatus.

When the car carrying the apparatus moves 1 along a track whose railsvary in: curvature, elevation-.and general straightness, some adequatemeans is required which shall be able automatically to respond' to trackvariations in order to :obtain and maintain proper and uniformapplication of the magnetic fields to therails and lm'aintainthe-pick-up devices properly aligned.

Itis to this problem that this invention is pri- .marily devoted,although other objects and advantages of this inventionwill becomeapparent kfrom the following specification in which a preferred form ofthe invention is shown andA described. Y

In the drawings: f 1

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing a vportion of the detectorcarriage of thepresent invention, associated with one rail only, anddesigned for attachment to the underside of a test car;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a portion of mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

ferred embodiment ofV the, invention as required byz Section 4888 of theRevised Statutes, but the `invention is not limited tothe embodimentchosenfor illustration, and the appended claims should be construed asbroadly as the prior art will permit.

The detector carriage herein disclosed may be mounted on test cars ofvarious designs, but for practical reasons has been adopted especiallyfor rmounting. on testl cars already in. use. The iioor (Cl. 17E-183) ofsuch a car'is. herein designatedI as 2,3,to'the undersider of which maybe secured'standard longitudinal channel beams 2l,` 22, 23vand 24,v andbrackets such as 25 and 25. l

To the brackets25 and 2t arel boltedfrigid depending T bars El and 28,to which are attached short chains 23 and 3G, the chainsfbeing connectedto clevis 3l and pin '32 connected to the rear and front endportionslrespectively, .of the main carriage bar 33. 'If desire/d-themain carriage bar may be` made of aluminum to save weight, and toit,directly or indirectly,all the other carriage parts may be attached. f 1

A sub-carriage bar 34 is supported on 'the .rail by wear shoes 35. and36, preferably made of stainless steel. To'the rear end of the bar'3-lvis Ybolted a split'head pickup box 3l,v having a hanger bracket 3Sslotted at 39 `to permit adjusting the box verticallyto maintain adesiredcleiaranceabove the topV surface `of the rail' represented by theline'4il. Y

A cross magnet 4l straddles .and is supported on bar 34 at a fixeddistance forwardly of 'the pickup box 3l in a manner to cause it toride' at a constant air gap above the rail. 4 Y.

The details of construction ofthe pickup box and crossmagnet do not forma part of this invention; hence will not be described any further thanas here stated to show their relative positions and means of support.

The main carriage bar 33 is supported on replaceable shoes 42 and 43,which are clamped by means of brackets 44 and bolts 45 to horizontalsupport bars 43 and 4l, which in turn are rigidly secured to thecarriage bar ,33 by vertical bolts', such as 48, which clamp the bars 46and 4l against vertical spacing plates, such as 49` and 5i).

When the entire carriage is raised` from the track the bar 34 will rideonbar 46, but when the apparatus is in testing position there will beclearance between the top of bar S4`and-the underside of bar 33, andclearance between' lthe underside of bar 34 and the top of bar 43.

As shown in Fig. 1, one orapair of linksy 5I pivotally connected to thefront end ofY barl`34 and to a bracket 52 secured to main carriage vbar33 serves to tow the sub-carriage bar 34, and at the same time exert alifting forcenon the subcarriage which tends to shift some of thev'veifght of the sub-carriage assembly from shoe, 36 Vto perhaps due tothe above-mentioned shifting of weight, the main carriage beam 33 willeventually rest upon the top of sub-carriage bar 34 and thusredistribute the weight. It is the purpose to have all three shoes wearto replacement condition together as a matter of maintenancevconvenience.

The maintenance of a desired air gap between cross magnet 4I and therail, as shoe 36 wears thinner, can be regulated by the insertion ofshirns between the magnet and its resting place on bar 34.

The gauge runners 53 are separate pieces which, as shown, mayconveniently be bolted to the shoe support bars 46 and 41, and are thusreadily replaceable independently. These runners serve to hold the maincarriage tracking Y parallel with the rail, while a gauging pressuremechanism, later described, maintains them against the inner sides ofthe rail heads. A main pickup box 54 is carried by the mai carriage beamv33 upon. vertically adjustable threaded parts, such as 55,7to which areadjustably secured, as shown,hanger brackets, such as 56, the latterbeing connected to angle brackets 51 xed upon the top of the pickup box.

Having this means of mounting, the pickup box 54 is readily lifted overstepped rail ends by the rail shoe 43, and by reason of its support onthe bolts 60 it may tilt about a longitudinal axis tomaintainparallelism with the top of the rail.

In some cases it will be preferable to have the pickup box 54 mountedout of engagement with the rail, and this can easily be done by properadjustment of the bolts 55 and 60.

When the carriage assembly is raised from the track during a non-testingperiod the chains 29 and 30, though inclined upwardly, assist inmaintaining the carriage parallel to the track.

Fig. 3 shows a pair of rails 6I and 62 and a detector carriage in testcontact with each rail. To maintain these carriages vertically, ornearly so, while in testing position a horizontal link 63 is pivotallyconnected to channel beam 22- and to a'vertical-link 64,- th'e lower endof which is pivotally'connected at 65 to a bracket 66 aflixedinanysuitable manner to the top of carriage beam33. Utilizing a slot 61in bracket- 66- and a bolt 68 passing therethrough, the link 64 may beadjustably but rigidly so connected to the carriage as to maintain thelatter in a substantially vertical position when in testing contact withtheV rail. H

Links identical with 63 andrllV for the same .purposeare connected withthe carriage positioned on rail 62, but are omitted from the drawingfor, clarity.

Automatic gauging is an arm 13 on which is rigidly mounted a weight 14spaced far enough from iloor beam 2| to clear it under all conditions.

A turnbuckle rod 15, oppositely threaded at its ends, is pivotallyconnected by threaded sleeves 16 and 11 to the lower end of lever 12 andto a bracket 18 rigidly secured to the carriage beam.

A rigid link 19 is pivotally connected to lever 12 and to a pendulum rod80 which is pivotally suspended from bracket 8l and carries on its lowerend a vertically adjustable weight 82. It will be recognized that weight14 not being located vertically above the pivot 1l, tends to disturb theequilibrium of the linkage system just described, but this iscompensated for by normally having pendulum slightly displaced to Vtheright ofv its true vertical position to reestablish equilibrium.

VAs the linkage system connected to the right hand carriage in Fig. 3`is obviously the same, but reversely disposed, as that just described inreference to the left hand carriage, additional reference numerals aregenerally omitted 1for the sake of simplicity.

Tension springs 83 and 84, termed gauging springs, are connected at 85to a bracket 86 and to the pendulum 80 and the corresponding pendulum 8Bassociated with the right hand carriage.

When the track is level and its gauge is exactly standard, the pendulumrods 12 and 8B will be substantially vertical and the pull of thegauging springs will tend to swing` inner pendulum 86 and itscounterpart 80 toward the track center, which force acting through theouter pendulum lever 12 and its counterpart serves to press the gaugerunners, such as 53, against the gauge sides of the two rails.

While Fig.` 3 and the description indicate for simplicity thatthere areonly two `pendulurns Vand one tension spring connected with eachcarriage, in actual practice preferably a pair of pendulums and a springare connected with each end of each carriage.

Assuming that the test car equipped with this apparatus is proceedingaround a curve and that rail 6I, being the outer rail, is higher thanthe inner rail 62 by about six inches, for example, under suchconditions the body of the test car is tilted Yto the right, as Fig. 3is viewed, and the left hand detector carriage would have a tendency tomove toward the track center because of gravity. The pendulum 80 isdisplaced from its normal substantially perpendicular position, andwhile it is so displaced tends to act through link 19, and the pivotallysupported inverted pendulum lever 12 exerts a force tending to pull theleft hand carriage back toward the rail and to cause its gauge runners53 to hug the rail side. The inverted pendulum 'l2- 13-14 also beingdisplaced from normal by the tiltingof the car exerts an increased forcein a manner to assist pendulum 80. Hence, the two pendulums under theconditions of'track elevation compensate for the carriages gravitationalpull to the right.

While pendulum 80' tends also to shift to the right and such movementtends to shift the right hand carriage `toward the track center, thegauging spring 84 and the right hand inverted pendulum exert acounteracting force which is adequate to hold the gauge runners to theright hand carriage against the track side. The right hand carriage willnaturally tend of its own weight to hug the rail.

Another factor tending to hold the left hand "acca-,109

. 'carriage on the higher rail, iianging againstthat Icombined eiect o'this factor and the pendulum compensation is designed to compensate'for'the carriages tendency to jfall away from the high when the-testcan is riding on lever straight :trackage the shape f o-fthe wheelstends. to cause :the Ucar to ride. midwaybetween the-rai1s,. and the;pendulum: system underv jthese conditions is .designed to bevgenerallyiinY Whatmay `rbe `termed as perpendicular equilibrium on thenon-elevated track. However, of necessity, there mustbesome sideclearance-betweenrthe wheel flanges and lthe -railsfandcthisclearance-will varyv duewtowear andrmay-:showup on I. either `side.On-level straight track there is,.:therefore, -frequent lateral ornosing-movement between `the -carand the rails.

Since each detector carriage should remain laterally constant with itsrail there is lateral movement between each carriage and the test car,and such lateral movement willdisturb the perpendicular equilibrium ofthe pendulum system. In the absence of track elevation thecarriage'doesnot counteract this relative displacement-when the Acar noses to oneside or the other.

. Assuming thatA the car noses tov the right, as

Fig. 3 is viewed, this means that-with respect to brace 69 the trackmovesy to the left. The

l automatic gauging mechanism'is exerting gauging. pressure against rail6i and causes theV left yhand carriage to. tend lto* follow the frail.This inverted pendulum tends to shift to the. right exerting a force tovthe' right on linky 'i9 while pendulum 80 tends to exert a force. to theleft on link T9, the one force canceling the other force sufiiciently sothat the gauging' spring 83 retains major control over the gaugingforce.

Whichever way the car noses the compensatory forces in the gaugingmechanism associated with each carriage will act correctively andquickly and maintain each carriage gauging properly on its rail.

Fig. 3 shows two lifting tables or chains 87 and 88, each connected toan eye bolt, such as 89, secured to the upper side of each mainlcarriage beam 33. Some suitable source of power (not shown) is employedto lift these cables toraise both carriages a few' inches above theraiis when the car is running but not testing. The pulleys 96 and 9i aremounted onthe car body in any suitable manner (not shown) somewhatinwardly alignment'. f the 'f-testingdevices .with the. rails duringtesting.. and! .that automatic gauging. is readily accomplished as thetest car moves'. along the track.

' We claim:

in .a rail; fiawifdetection apparatus for attachrnent` to test car,aid'etector carriage adapted in .testing positionY toiri'de 'upon-a railandhaving a gaugeY runner, apair of pendulums pivotally mountableonilthe car, means connecting' said pendulums to effectsi'multaneousYopposite angular rotation of the two about their pivots. responsive.tofgravitational forces, and

frneans controlledv by the rotationfof said pendulu-msV for controlling.thegauging .positionof vsaid runner.

2. In-r arail naw detection apparatus- 'for'. at-

v.tachme'nt to Aa te'stJcan' a detector carriage of the rails, hence thelifting force of the cables v (which are slack during testingydraw .thecar-Y 'herein shown and described assuresrthe. proper adapted' intestingi'zposition. toride upona rail and having. a gauge. (runner, apair of A.pendu- 'lums pivotally'.M mountable on 'the car t `inwardlyand outwardly ofthe rail position ofthe carriage, and means operatively.connecting said pendulums to said carriage for.lgravitationally'effecting control upon the 'gauging yposition of saidrunner.

3. In a rail naw detection apparatus' for attachment to a" test car, adetector carriage adapted in testing positionztoi' ride "upon ai railandY having a gauge runner, a pair of pendulums pivotally mountable onthe car inwardly and outwardly of the rail position of the.. carriage,and means linking said pendulums to said carriage for gravitationallyA`regulating. the gauging lposition of said' runner.

'4. 'InV a rail flaw detection:v apparatus for attachment to a. testcar; adetector carriage adapted in testing'V position to'ride-upon arail and having a gauge runner, an arm connected with the carriage, anda pair of pendulums linked to said arm andv pivotally mountable on thecar inwardly and outwardly of the rail position of the. carriagegravitationally acting on said arm for regulating the gauging of saidrunner against the inner side of the rail.

' 5. In a rail. flaw ldetection apparatus for attachment to a test car,a detector carriage adapted in testing position to ride upon a rail -andhavingV a gauge runner, an inverted pendulum and a normal rdependingpendulum pivotally mountable on thecar, and means connecting Vsaidp'endulums to 'said carriage for controlling the gauging. position ofsaid runner.

6.- In a rail iiaw detection 'apparatus for attachment to "a test car, adetector carriage adapted in. testing position to ride upon a railandhaving a gauge runner, an inverted pendulum and a normal dependingpendulum pivotally 'mountable on the. car, and means connectingsaidpendulums to said carriage for controlling theA gauging position ofsaid runner, and a tension spring connectable to the car and acting onYone of said pendulums in opposition to the gravitati'onal forcethereon. f

7. In a rail flaw detection apparatus for attachment to a test car, adetector carriage adapted in testing'position to ride upon a rail andhaving a gauge runner, weight carrying arms pivotally kmountable on thecar, means linking said arms together to effect a generallyperpendicular equilibrium between the rotative forces produced by' saidweights, and means connecting one of said arms-with said carriage forcontrolling the' gauging position of said runner.

A8.?In1a1'rail iiaw detection apparatus for. at-

' tachment 'to Iaf-test. can-a. detector vcarriage adapted in testingposition to. ride upon a rail and having a gauge runner, weight carryingarms pivotally mountable on the car, means linking said arms together toeffect a generally perpendicular equilibrium between the rotativeforcesproduced by said weights, means connecting one of said arms with saidcarriage for controlling the gauging position of said runner, and atension spring connectable with the car and operatively connected withthe pendulum system for effecting additional gauging control on saidTunnel'.

9. In a rail iiaw detection apparatus for attachment to a test car, adetector carriage adapted in testing position to ride upon a rail andhaving a gauge runner, a pendulum pivotal- `ly connectable at its upperend to the car, a

second pendulum pivotally supported upon said car at a substantialdistance below the pivotal support ofthe first pendulum, means pivotallyconnecting said pendulums for effecting simultaneous rotation of them inopposite angular directions when subject to gravitational displacementforces, and means controlled by the rotation of said pendulums forregulating-the gauging position of said runner.

10. In arail flaw detection apparatus for attachment to a test car, adetector carriage comprising a main carriage beam, fore-and-aft gaugingshoes connected to said beam, a sub-carriage beam `straddling one ofsaid shoes longitudinally and vertically shiftable relatively to saidmain carriage beam, a detection magnet mounted on the forward part ofsaid sub-carriage beam and a pickup device mounted on the rear part ofsaid beam, track shoes supporting the sub-carriage beam upon a rail, andtowing means connecting the sub-carriage beam to the main beam.

11. In a rail flaw detection apparatus for attachment to a test car, adetector carriage comprising a main carriage beam, means flexiblyconnecting said beam to the testcar, gauging shoes secured to said mainbeam, a sub-carriage beam longitudinally straddling one of said shoesand vertically shiftable between said shoe and the main beam, trackshoes supporting the front and rear end of said sub-carriage beam, a awdetection magnet supported on the forward end of said sub-carriage beam,an electrical pickup device supported on the rear end portion of saidsubcarriage beam, and means connecting the subcarriage beam to the maincarriage beam to eiTect towing of the former by the latter.

12. In a rail flaw detection apparatus for attachment to a test car, adetector carriage adapted in testing position to ride upon a rail andhaving a gauge runner, a pendulum for pivotal mounting on the car andnormally depending therefrom in a substantially vertical position, asecond pendulum, means for pivotally supportingV the same Aupon the carin inverted position, means connecting said pendulums for simultaneousrotation in opposite angular directions, and means connecting one ofsaid pendulums to the carriage for controlling the gauging position ofsaid runner( 13. In a rail flaw detection apparatus for attachment to atest car, a detector carriage adapted in testing position to ride upon arail and having a gauge runner, a pendulum and means for mounting thesame in a substantially vertical depending position upon said carinwardly of the railv position of said carriage, a

.second pendulum and means for pivotally mounting the saine in invertedposition uponrthe car outwardly of the rail position of the carriage,means connecting said pendulums whereby the rotation of one effectsopposite angular rotation of the other, and means connecting theinverted pendulum to the carriage for eiecting an increased outwardlyacting gauging force on said carriage upon movement of the iirstpendulum inwardly toward the track center.

14. In a rail flaw detection apparatus for mounting on a test car, adetector carriage adapted in testing position to ride upon a rail andhaving a gauge runner, linkage means pivotally connected with the testcar for maintaining the carriage in vertical position while testing, adepending pendulum pivotally mountable on the car inwardly of thetesting position of the carriage, an inverted pendulum pivotallymountable on the car outwardly of the testing position of the carriage,means connecting said pendulums for eiecting simultaneous oppositeangular rotation of them when subjected to gravitational displacementforces, means pivotally connecting one of said pendulums to the carriagefor effecting pendulum control of the gauging position of the carriagerunner, the axes of all aforesaid pivotal connections being disposedlongitudinally relatively to the testrcar, and means-for lifting thecarriage from testing position arranged for effecting swinging movementof the carriage inwardly and upwardly from its testing position.

l5.-In a rail flaw ydetection apparatus, a car,

'a detector carriage adapted in testing position to ride upon a rail andhaving a gauge runner, and weighted gravity operated means pivotallysupported on the car and operatively connected to the carriage forpositioning said gauge runner, said means having a normal equilibriumposition when the car is level and moving without side sway for exertinga predetermined normal positioning force upon said carriage forcontrolling the gauging of said runner, said means being gravitaticnallyrockable out of equilibrium position when the car assumes a transverselytilted position for exerting a different positioning force upon saidcarriage.

16. In a rail naw detection apparatus, a car, a detector carriageadapted in testing position to ride upon a rail and having a gaugerunner, means pivotally connected to the car and carriage maintainingthe carriage perpendicular to the car when testing, a gauging armconnected to the carriage for pulling the gauge runner against the rail,a lever pivotally supported on the car outside the rail positionconnected to said arm, a vertically depending lever pivotally supportedon the car inside the rail position, a link extending above the carriagepivotally connecting the two levers, and resilient biasing meansconnected to the car and the second lever operative for resilientlybiasing said gauge runner against the rail.

17. In a rail flaw detection apparatus for attachment to a test car, adetector carriage adapted in testing position to ride upon a rail andhaving a, gauge runner, a pendulum and means for mounting the same in asubstantially vertical depending position upon said car inwardly of therail position of said carriage, a second pendulum and means forpivotally mounting the same in inverted position upon the car outwardlyof the rail position of the carriage, the second pendulum having aweight p-ositionedabove and inwardly of its pivotal support, meansconnecting said pen dulums whereby the rotation'of one effects vop'.-

posite angular rotation of the other, and means connecting the invertedpendulum to the car riage for effecting an increased outwardly actinggauging force on said carriageupon movement of the rst pendulum inwardlytoward the track center.

18. In a rail iiaw detection apparatus for attachment to a test car, adetector carriage adapted in testing position to ride upon a rail andhaving a gauge runner, a pendulum for pivotal mounting on the car andnormally depending therefrom in a substantially vertical position, asecond pendulum and means for pivotally sups porting the same upon thecar in inverted position, means connecting said pendulums forsimultaneous rotation in opposite angular directions, means independentof the pendulums for maintaining the carriage perpendicular to the rail,and means connecting one of said pendulums to the carriage for`controlling the gauging position I of said runner.

and having a gauge runnena pair of pendulums pivotally mountable on thecar, means connecting said pendulums to eiect simultaneous oppositeangular rotation of the two about their connected to the car maintainingthe carriage substantially perpendicular to the rail when test-` ing, apendulum pivotally depending from the car inside the rail position, aninverted pendulum pivotally supported on the car outside the railposition lhaving a, Weight inwardly oiset above y its pivot, a gaugingarm connecting the lower pivots responsive to gravitationaliforces,means Y end of the inverted pendulum to the carriage to effect anoutward pull thereon, and a link pivotally connecting the two pendulumseffecting a substantial equilibrium between their opposite angularrotative forces when the car is level for holding the gauge runneragainst the rail.

WALTER C. BARNES. JOHN C. DIONNE. Y

'REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,874,030 Cushnie Aug. 30, 19321,899,525 Perry et al. Feb. 28, 1933 2,276,011 Billstein Mar. 10, 1942

